POWER FLOW MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT
First Claim
1. A method of controlling power flow within an electricity distribution network, the electricity distribution network comprising a measurement node, the measurement node being configured to access a data store storing data indicative of one or more predefined power flow patterns, wherein a power unit is electrically connected to the electricity distribution network and is configured to consume electric power from, and/or provide electric power to, the electricity distribution network such that a change in consumption and/or provision of electric power by the power unit results in a change in power flow in the network, the method comprising:
- controlling power flow to and/or from the power unit in accordance with a control sequence, such that the consumption and/or provision of power by the power unit results in a power flow having a said predefined power flow pattern, and a characteristic of the power flow resulting from the unit is measurable by the measurement node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for measuring and/or managing power consumption by power units connected to an electricity distribution network are disclosed. Power flow to and/or from a power unit connected to an electricity distribution network is controlled in accordance with a control sequence, such that the consumption and/or provision of power by the power unit results in a power flow having a predefined flow pattern, and having a characteristic, such as an amplitude, which can be remotely measured. This measurement may be performed using a method in which a signal indicative of power flowing at a measurement node is measured and correlated with a predefined pattern, and a characteristic of the correlated signal is measured. Thus, power flow characteristics resulting from a group of one or more power flow devices can be remotely detected and measured.
22 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method of controlling power flow within an electricity distribution network, the electricity distribution network comprising a measurement node, the measurement node being configured to access a data store storing data indicative of one or more predefined power flow patterns, wherein a power unit is electrically connected to the electricity distribution network and is configured to consume electric power from, and/or provide electric power to, the electricity distribution network such that a change in consumption and/or provision of electric power by the power unit results in a change in power flow in the network, the method comprising:
controlling power flow to and/or from the power unit in accordance with a control sequence, such that the consumption and/or provision of power by the power unit results in a power flow having a said predefined power flow pattern, and a characteristic of the power flow resulting from the unit is measurable by the measurement node.
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2. A method according to clause 1, in which the measurable characteristic comprises an amplitude of the power flow.
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3. A method according to either of clause 1 and clause 2, comprising receiving a data sequence representing the control sequence.
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4. A method according to clause 3, comprising receiving the data sequence at the power flow control unit from the measurement node.
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5. A method according to any preceding clause, comprising:
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receiving an activation signal; and initiating the control sequence on the basis of the received activation signal.
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6. A method according to clause 5, in which the received activation signal specifies a time for initiating the control sequence, and the method comprises initiating the control sequence at the specified time.
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7. A method according to any of clauses 1 to 4, in which the predefined power pattern resulting from the power unit comprises a repeating pattern, and the method comprises controlling power flow to and/or from the power unit continuously according to the repeating pattern.
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8. A method according to any preceding clause, in which:
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the control sequence represents a sequence of control signals for controlling a switch, the switch being configured to turn power flow to and/or from the power unit on or off in accordance with a control signal; and the method comprises controlling the switch in accordance with the sequence of control signals.
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9. A method according to any preceding clause, comprising controlling an attenuator to modify power flow to and/or from the device.
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10. A method according to any preceding clause, comprising preventing power flow to and/or from the power unit in response to a disabling signal.
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11. A method according to clause 10, comprising receiving the disabling signal from the measurement node.
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12. A method according to any preceding clause, comprising:
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measuring electric power consumption and/or provision at the power unit; and sending an indication of a said measurement to the measurement node.
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13. A method according to any preceding clause, in which the measurement node comprises said data store.
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14. A method according to any preceding clause, in which each of a distributed group of said power units is connected to the electricity distribution network, and the method comprises:
controlling the power flow to and/or from the plurality of units in accordance with the control sequence, such that the consumption and/or provision of power by the plurality of power units is coordinated to collectively provide a power flow having the predefined power flow pattern and a characteristic measurable by the measurement node.
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15. A method according to clause 14, in which a plurality of said groups is connected to the network, and the method comprises controlling the power flow to and/or from each said group according to different control sequences, such that the power flow pattern resulting from a respective group is mutually orthogonal, or quasi-orthogonal, with respect to power flow patterns resulting from each other said group, such that a power flow characteristic associated with each of the power flow patterns can be measured at the measurement node independently of each of the other patterns.
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16. A power flow control device configured to perform the method of any of clause 1 to clause 12.
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17. A power unit comprising a power flow control device according to clause 16.
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18. A power unit according to clause 17, the unit comprising position determining means for determining a position of the unit and an interface for sending an indication of a determined position of the mobile unit to the measurement node.
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19. A power unit according to either of clause 17 and clause 18, comprising a user interface for providing an indication of availability of the unit for provision and/or consumption of electric power to and/or from the electricity distribution network, and an interface for transmitting an indication of said availability.
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20. A method of measuring power flow in an electricity distribution network comprising a measurement node, the electricity distribution network being connected to a group of one or more power units each configured to consume electric power from and/or provide electric power to the electricity distribution network such that a change in power provision and/or consumption by a said unit results in a change in power flow in the network, wherein each of the power units is associated with a respective power flow control device configured to control power flow to and/or from a power unit in accordance with a predefined control sequence, resulting in a power flow having a predefined pattern, the measurement node being configured to access a data store configured to store data indicative of one or more said patterns, the method comprising:
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measuring a signal indicative of power flowing at the measurement node; analysing the measured signal so as to correlate a component thereof with a said pattern, whereby to generate one or more correlated signals; measuring a characteristic of the one or more correlated signals, thereby determining a contribution to said measured signal by the group of power units.
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21. A method according to clause 20, in which the characteristic comprises an amplitude of the power flow.
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22. A method according to clause 20 or clause 21, comprising sending a signal specifying said control sequence to each power unit of the group.
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23. A method according to any of clause 20 to clause 22, comprising sending an activation signal to the power units for activating, at a predetermined time, the control sequence.
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24. A method according to clause 23, in which said activation signal specifies a time of activation of said control sequence.
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25. A method according to any of clause 20 to clause 24, in which the predefined power flow pattern comprises a repeating pattern, and the power flow control devices are configured to control power to and/or from the group of one or more power units continuously according to the repeating pattern.
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26. A method according to clause 25, comprising allocating the control sequence in accordance with a power consumption and/or provision requirement relating to the one or more power units, whereby to control an energy consumption and/or provision of the power units.
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27. A method according to any of clause 20 to clause 26, in which the electricity distribution network is connected to a plurality of said groups, the measurement node stores data representing a plurality of said control sequences, and data indicating associations between the stored control sequences and the groups, and the method comprises:
correlating the measured signal with the stored sequences, so as to identify a contribution of a given group to the total power consumption and/or provision within the electricity distribution network.
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28. A method according to any of clause 20 to clause 27, comprising:
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receiving, from at least one of said power units, a signal indicative of a measurement of electricity consumption and/or provision made at the unit; comparing the received measurement with a determined contribution relating to the unit; and calibrating the electricity distribution node on the basis of said comparison.
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29. A method according to any of clause 20 to clause 28, in which the measurement node comprises said data store.
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30. A measurement node configured to perform the method of any of clause 20 to clause 29.
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31. A computer program comprising a set of instructions which, when executed on a processing unit, causes the processing unit to perform the method of any of clauses 20 to 30.
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32. A method of controlling electricity flow in an electricity distribution network, the electricity distribution network comprising a plurality of measurement nodes and a plurality of distributed groups of power units, each of said power units being configured to consume and/or provide electricity associated with the electricity distribution network, wherein each power unit in a given group is configured to be controlled by a control sequence assigned to the group, the control sequence controlling power consumption and/or provision by each unit of the group according to a predefined pattern, resulting in an associated power flow pattern, and each of the measurement nodes being configured to measure a characteristic of power flowing in the network associated with the power consumption and/or provision of one or more groups, the method comprising:
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assigning a plurality of said control sequences to a first plurality of groups of units, such that a characteristic of power flow associated with the first plurality of groups is measurable by a first said measurement node, wherein the assigned control sequences result in mutually orthogonal patterns of power flow, whereby flow characteristics associated with each of the power flow patterns can be measured at the first node independently of each of the other patterns; assigning a further control sequence to a further, different, group of units, such that a characteristic of modulated power flow associated with the further group of units is measurable by a further, different, measurement node; and controlling consumption or provision of power in the network in accordance with the assigned control sequences, wherein the further control sequence corresponding to a control sequence assigned to the first plurality of groups.
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33. A method of controlling electricity flow within an electricity distribution network, the electricity distribution network comprising a measurement node and a plurality of power units, each of the power units being configured to consume and/or provide electricity associated with the electricity distribution network, wherein each of the power units is configured to be controlled by an assigned control sequence, the control sequence controlling power consumption and/or provision by the unit according to a predefined pattern, the method comprising;
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assigning group membership to a plurality of the units, thereby defining at least one group; and assigning a said control sequence to the group, such that each unit of the group consumes and/or provides power in accordance with a predefined pattern corresponding to the assigned control sequence, resulting in a modulated power flow pattern having an characteristic measurable at the measurement node, the method further comprising; measuring a characteristic of the modulated power flow pattern at the measurement node; based on the measured characteristic and one or more predefined optimisation parameters, modifying the assigned group membership; and iterating said measurement and modification, whereby to optimise a measured characteristic associated with the group.
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34. A method according to clause 33, in which the assignment of group membership is based, at least in part, on a random selection technique.
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35. A method according to either of clause 33 and clause 34, in which the one or more optimisation parameters comprise a parameter relating to network operational requirements.
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36. A method according to any of clause 33 to clause 35, in which the one or more optimisation parameters comprise a parameter relating to the geographical distribution of the units.
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37. A method according to any of clause 33 to clause 36, in which characteristic measured comprises an amplitude characteristic and the one or more parameters comprise a parameter relating to amplitude measurement.
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38. A method according to any of clause 33 to clause 37, in which:
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the electricity distribution network comprises a plurality of said measurement nodes; and the method comprises defining a plurality of said groups, each group being associated with a node of the plurality of measurement nodes.
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39. A method according to clause 38, in which the one or more predefined amplitude measurement optimisation parameters include a parameter relating to attenuation of power flow between different nodes, and the method comprises:
assigning the group membership for a first group associated with a first said node such that the contribution of the first group to a power flow amplitude at a second, different node, is small compared to the total power flow amplitude at the second node.
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40. A method according to any of clause 38 to clause 39, in which the geographical separation of the first and second nodes is known and the control sequence assignment is based on the separation.
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41. A method according either of clause 39 and clause 40, in which the network comprises a plurality of geographical areas each associated with a said node, and in which each unit located in a given said geographical area is associated with the node associated with that area.
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42. A method according to clause 41, in which one or more of the units is capable of moving between the geographical areas, and the method comprises:
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monitoring a location of one or more of the units; determining that one or more units have entered a given geographical area; in response to said determination, associating the one or more units with a node associated with the given area; analysing group membership and associated modulated power flow patterns in the given area; and assigning group membership to the one or more units that have entered the given geographical area on the basis of the analysis.
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43. A method according to any of clause 33 to clause 42, in which a plurality of groups are associated with each node, and the method comprises assigning mutually quasi-orthogonal control sequences to each of the groups associated with a given node.
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44. A method according to clause 43, comprising assigning, to a group associated with a different node, a control sequence corresponding to a control sequence assigned to a group associated with the given node.
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45. A method according to any of clause 33 to clause 44, in which assignment of group membership is based on availability of one or more of the devices and the method comprises receiving an indication of an availability of a device from a user associated with the device.
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46. A measurement node configured to perform the method of any of clause 32 to clause 45.
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47. A computer program comprising a set of instructions which, when executed on a processing unit, causes the processing unit to perform the method of any of clauses 32 to 45.
Specification